1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data-exchange within a groupware environment and, more particularly, to methods and systems for controlling data-exchange within a groupware environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
A groupware environment can include messaging, calendaring, document sharing, or instant messaging functions. Data exchange mechanisms implemented in a groupware environment, however, cannot allow user-based or task-based customization across an entire set of groupware functions. For example, exchanging a document using the mail data exchange protocols can only be achieved thru sending the entire document as an email attachment to all the recipients. However, several drawbacks can be associated with the methods of handling data-exchange, such as documents, between the members of an email group. For instance, sending the entire document as an email attachment negatively affects the network bandwidth and unnecessarily consumes data storage resources. For instance, an exemplary email group can include six (6) members each using a different data exchange protocol. The sender can send a text document as an email attachment to the remaining five members (i.e., the recipients). In this manner, each of the five recipients can review and edit the document. Subsequently, five emails, each including a respective modified version of the document, can be sent back to the sender. The sender then reviews each of the five versions of the attached document so as to determine whether any modifications has been made to the document. Thereafter, the sender has to further incorporate the modifications in each of the five versions of documents into a single document. Of course, reviewing each of the modified documents as well incorporating all the modifications into a single version of the document not only unnecessarily wastes sender's valuable time but also is tedious and time consuming. Another limitation associated with data-exchange is that each recipient can be aware of only the recipient's own modifications to the document and, not any of the modifications made by any of the remaining recipients.
Still another drawback associated with the methods of handling data-exchange as email attachments is the inappropriate utilization of storage. Currently, document attachments are delivered to the email boxes of all the members, needlessly occupying the respective members' limited storage space allocated to the members. Such waste of email storage space is more pronounced for the sender, as the sender may receive five separate emails, each including a separate modified version of the document. In certain scenarios, lack of adequate email storage can be remedied by acquiring additional email storage. However, obtaining extra storage can be rather costly.
Of course, the limitations associated with data-exchange as email attachments are only a few of the deficiencies associated with data-exchange between members of a groupware environment wherein each member uses a respective data exchange protocol. For instance, a variety of software applications can be implemented to exchange a variety of data and data types between the members of a groupware. However, the data-exchange using software applications cannot be achieved efficiently or without breaking the data exchange protocols. Nor can data-exchange be controlled by the groupware members.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for systems and methods capable of minimally affecting data exchange protocols while efficiently exchanging data between the members of the groupware environment.